(WASHINGTON, D.C., 2/10/06) – On Tuesday, February 14, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) will hold a noon news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to launch a major educational effort focusing on the life and legacy of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. (Similar news conferences will be held at CAIR offices nationwide. Contact the nearestCAIR chapter for details.)

CAIR’s initiative, details of which will be announced at the news conference, was prompted by the worldwide controversy over caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad and is designed to turn a negative incident into a positive learning opportunity.

“People of all faiths in the West and in the Muslim world can either succumb to a downward spiral of mutual mistrust and hostility or they can view this disturbing episode as a ‘teaching moment’ that should not be wasted,” said CAIR Board Chairman Parvez Ahmed.

Following similar international protests over claims that American personnel had desecrated the Quran at Guantanamo Bay’s Camp X-Ray, CAIR launched an “Explore the Quran” campaign offering free copies of the holy text to Americans of all faiths. To date, more than 27,000 Qurans have been requested through that campaign.

CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties group, has 31 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.